Thousands of rooms at famous tourist destinations such as Antalya, Marmaris, Cappadocia have been requisitioned as accommodation for those who lost their homes after the earthquake.
Turkey is facing a major challenge from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6, after a series of towns and cities were flattened. It is urgent now to find shelter for hundreds of thousands of people in the middle of winter.
Tent rows were erected in many stadiums, dilapidated city centers. In addition, the Mediterranean and Aegean coastal resorts, which were not affected by the quake, are also opening hotel rooms for residents to evacuate.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the government is doing everything to provide temporary accommodation for survivors who want to resettle. He said at least 15,000 people have been temporarily staying in government guest houses, student dormitories, hotels. Antalya, which is known as the tourist capital of the country, has provided accommodation for more than 11,000 people.
Bulent Bulbuloglu, owner of the Cettia Beach hotel in Marmari, a tourist port city on the Mediterranean coast, opened its doors to earthquake survivors. “The hotel is closed in the winter for renovation, scheduled to reopen in April when the summer starts. But we stopped the renovation to welcome the victims in.”
The Turkish Federation of Hotel Owners says thousands of rooms have been allocated in popular tourist destinations such as Antalya, Alanya, Marmaris, Fethiye, Bodrum, İzmir and Cappadocia. “The hotel in the city of Antalya welcomed its first guests on the morning of February 8,” said Ulkay Atmaca, head of the Association of Professional Hotel Managers.
But many survivors seem reluctant to leave their homes, despite the cold weather. “We have prepared rooms. But many people still do not want to come because they are waiting for relatives and friends who are trapped in the rubble,” said Hakan Saatcioglu, manager of four hotels in the city.
Many churches in Mersin, Diyarbakır are also open to receive the victims. Yusuf Geçgin, 29 years old, with his wife and two children, is in the church. Recalling the bad moments when the earthquake struck, he shared: “Thank God, we got out safely, stayed in the car for a few days while the aftershocks kept happening. Then the family I moved to church, my only consolation is that my children are safe.”
Father Coşkun Teymur, spiritual leader of the Mersin Greek Orthodox Church, said that through his efforts, they have evacuated about 500 people from the area affected by the earthquake.
“We have taken measures to ease the hardships of the earthquake victims. For those who want to leave the city, we have arranged buses and sent them to another area. We evacuated about 500 people, mobilized every means possible, turned the church into a dormitory, served hot food. We also send food, clothing and hygiene supplies to those who cannot leave their homes yet,” he said.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Agency estimated more than 28,000 homeless people were removed from the quake area, with nearly 5,000 leaving by road and more than 23,000 by plane.
Source: Reuters, Daily Sabah
